The invention relates to a floor for supporting and transporting cargo, wherein the floor comprises two or more groups of slats, which are reciprocal in the slat direction. The invention also relates to a cargo space which comprises such a floor.
Such floors are known, for instance as a floor of a trailer. The slats can be attached groupwise to drive feet, which are each connected to a movable component of a drive cylinder, the piston rod or the cylinder housing. By activating the cylinders the drive feet and thereby the groups of slats are reciprocated so as to to displace the load over the floor, in the slat direction. In a first type of embodiment drive feet and drive cylinders are incorporated in a drive assembly, which is located below the floor, for instance attached to the main beams of a chassis. According to a second type of embodiment the drive feet and drive cylinders are located at the front of the cargo space. According to a first further embodiment thereof the drive feet are also located in front of the slats and connected to the respective slats by means of fingers which extend horizontally from the drive feet. This arrangement is complex and occupies more space in the slat direction. In a second further embodiment the slats are attached directly to the lower side of the drive feet. In the second embodiments the slats extend through a bulkhead of the cargo space, the entire drive being located in front of the bulkhead. The surface of the slat portions located there, as well as the further space in front of the bulkhead, cannot be used for loading purposes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a floor of the type mentioned in the introductory paragraph with which, using a drive which is arranged at the end of the floor, an arrangement can be realized which is compact in the horizontal slat direction.
It is an object of the invention to provide a floor of the type mentioned in the introductory paragraph with which, using a drive which is arranged at the end of the floor, a vertically compact arrangement can be realized.
It is an object of the invention to provide a floor of the type mentioned in the introductory paragraph with which, using a drive which is arranged at the end of the floor, a large useful loading area can be maintained.